Almost 1,800 irregular migrants from Tunisia have reached Italy since the beginning of 2023, including 300 minors, according to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES). The NGO criticizes repressive migration and security approaches at the level of both Tunisia and the EU.
Nearly 1,800 irregular Tunisian migrants, including 300 minors, have reached Italy since the beginning of this year, the spokesperson and official in charge of immigration at the NGO Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) Romdhane Ben Amor told local radio Shems on Thursday, March 30.
Amor noted that, based on the available data, 1,771 Tunisians were able to travel to Italy between January and the end of March this year. At least 136 people died during crossings, he said.
Over 3,000 irregular migrants reach Italy from Tunisia every day
In total 26,000 migrants have landed in Italy since the beginning of 2023, including the 1,771 Tunisians, Amor noted.
Moreover, the official said Tunisia has become an important point of transit for irregular migrants. International trafficking networks take over 3,000 irregular migrants to Italy on a daily basis, Amor claimed.
He added that, since January 1 this year, Tunisian authorities have prevented 14,000 migrants from reaching Italy’s coast illegally, four times the figure recorded in the first trimester of 2022 and 13 times the figure registered in the first quarter of 2020.
Amor also described the beginning of this year as "tragic" due to the increase of shipwrecks in the months of February and March. He explained that Tunisians are only waiting for the weather to improve to attempt the crossing.
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'EU not interested in democracy but in stability of borders'
Amor claimed that "European Union policies caused the irregular migration crisis in Tunisia."
"The EU is not really interested in democracy and the respect of human rights, but in the stability inside countries situated at its southern border," he denounced.
He said pressure on Tunisia "is only aimed at strengthening controls and turning it into a buffer zone," noting that "repressive approaches" to deal with immigration "can reduce the phenomenon, but only temporarily."
According to Ben Amor, last year more than 18,145 people irregularly reached Italy’s coast from Tunisia, while almost 500 people were reported missing off the Tunisian coast and hearing about casualties at sea has become common.
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He denounced a "lack of transparency, in particular concerning the number of shipwrecks, victims and missing."
The spokesman also denounced "a repressive approach" to security at "the level of Tunisian coasts," claiming the "harsh" use of force has "caused several tragedies".
However, he added, "it is not correct to state that Tunisian authorities have been complicit with illegal migration networks or that they have exercised pressure on Europe to obtain aid."
The "figures and facts" contradict this claim, he said: "Tunisian authorities have arrested more than 14,000 migrants since the beginning of the year, four times the figure" recorded last year, but the "approach to security isn’t enough on its own."
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